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Friday, December 24, 2010

You can make this with a store bought crust...graham cracker, oreo etc..but I get slack for using anything but Chips Ahoy cookies for my crust. My hub, sons and brothers in law all insist this be at the family functions. I don't like it...but that's a good thing. If I make things I don't eat, I won't get fat. I used Creamy PB today because I bought a gigantic PB for my kids power shakes.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Wooden shutters can be just as functional and good-looking indoors as out. This refinished trio hangs on the wall over a hallway console. Their louvers are a perfect (not to mention plentiful) spot to tuck invitations, display artwork, or hang a message pad. Vintage coat hooks also get a new use; they are mounted on a wooden plaque and put to work corralling the daily mail.

Shutter How-To
Wooden shutters come in a variety of shapes and sizes. If using multiples, you'll want them to match in size and style. You'll also need a hammer and brads, medium-grit sandpaper, primer, latex paint, a paintbrush, a level, a pencil, a drill, and mounting hardware appropriate for your wall. If shutters have adjustable louvers, lock them in the "up" position by driving a brad through the tilt bar and into the frame (left). Sand, prime, and paint shutters; let dry. Use level to mark position for middle shutter. Drill pilot holes in shutter and the wall; mount with hardware (we used screws and stainless-steel finish washers for a clean look). Repeat with side panels, butting them snugly against middle shutter.

Coat Hook How-ToPaint or stain a precut plaque, available at crafts stores. Paint hooks to desired color (we chose the same shade of green paint that was used on the shutters to unify the two elements). Secure the hooks side-by-side with 1/2-inch wood screws. Repeat to form additional rows to separate your mail.

Friday, December 3, 2010

I freakin love homemade pasta! I made Lasagna yesterday....two days prior made homemade ricotta and had to contain myself from eating that out of the jar as is..its so good.

Make the pasta dough about a half hour before you are going to roll it out and put it in the frige

In the food processor:

3 cups flour (I used AP but have cut it with some Semolina when making it in the past, just didn't have any, and I made due)
4 eggs
1 T kosher salt (I really don't measure this, I just throw some in)
1 T olive oil

Whirl it up...add a few drops of water to make it just wet enough to be able to dump out and knead. (check it first, it may be wet enough, take the lid off and squeeze it, it looks dryer than it is)

After kneading it for a few mins, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate to make it easy to handle.

Cut a piece off and put a tiny bit of flour on it so it doesn't' stick to the pasta machine. I prefer to roll mine out by hand with this, rather than have a motorized one. I can control it on my own.

Roll it on the largest setting...which on mine is the SMALLEST number. Go through twice, and then keep moving it until you get to setting four. Stop at four for lasagna. This is perfect thickness.
Lay them out on the counter, its okay if they start to dry some..I usually roll them all out and clean up and take a break while the water is coming to a boil.

Big pot, lots of water, lots of salt in the water....even a drop of oil in it if you want. Bring to boil.

Slowly add them to the water, one at a time and give them a stir after adding a few...mine did not stick at all, but just to be sure, I did this.
Cook four or five mins, drain and run under cold water for easy handling...and proceed to make your lasagna as you usually do.
Make some homemade ricotta cheese...it makes a huge difference...its so much better than store bought and cheap too. Here is the recipe I use...simple! I promise!

My son's friend left me this on our refrigerators facebook page..I've had this on the fridge for years and love the notes my kids and their friends leave me.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Chile Rellanos are yummy but what a pita to make. I have so many poblano peppers left from the garden.

I just took the quesadilla maker out plopped a flour tortilla shell on it, put on some queso fresco cheese diced small, and some diced poblano peppers and put the other shell on top, close the lid and let it cook about 3-5 mins. Easy fast food!

Thursday, November 4, 2010

We just picked our last batch of peppers from the garden and diced and froze as many as we could. Now I am scrambling to use them up before they go bad.

We love stuffed peppers but my family is never home at the same time for dinner ever (sad huh?) and I am lazy so making stuffed peppers into a soup just makes sense. It's just as good and fast to make.

This CAN be made in a pot on the stove, as back in pre-historic times, before I got a pressure cooker, I made it that way.

If you know me, I don't follow any rules for a recipe. Here's what I added. Add what you like, whatever you put in your stuffed peppers, sauces etc.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

I just picked all of the peppers from the garden yesterday before I lost them to the frost.

We make tons of hot peppers in oil and freeze it for the winter, to add to pizza, 'sammiches' and breads.

Another one of my favorite things to do with them is make Jalapeño Bottle Caps. They are easy to make and take very little time to fry up.
I am craving them bad this morning for some reason, I am definitely making them when my hubby gets home!

My favorite thing is to make a "tea" or hot drink. My hubby always swore by Theraflu until he tried this healthy and natural remedy. My cold's go away much faster, many times the next day. My son just had a cup last week, his sore throat was gone the next day. It has a pleasant taste too.

Put the tea kettle on the stove with some water, of course. When it whistles, pour in about 1/4 of the mug with water. Add cinnamon....and stir well Fill it the rest of the way with water.Then with a mircroplane, zest in some fresh ginger root. Zest in some orange/lemon/lime peel and squeeze in some juice from it also. Now add the honey. I use clover. There is no real measure for this. I just put in however much I feel I need. If its a strong cold, I go heavy on the ingredients. You can also add cardamom to this if you like it..its good for your lungs.

Sip this throughout the day, drink it before bed. You can use a tea strainer if you prefer not to have the microplaned bits, but they are healthy, so I just take them as they are.

Here's why it works:
Ginger gives your body a feeling that you have a fever and in turn, your immune system goes into overdrive to fight the infection. Honey not only soothes but its a natural antibiotic..so is cinnamon....and the orange juice/zest is a zip of vitamin c..go for the zest if you can. It has way more than a splash of citrus juice has in it.

It is important that you add the cinnamon to a small amount of water first, if you add it after the cup is full, you can't stir it hard enough to dissolve it.

Another thing, keep fresh ginger root in the freezer. I double bag it and use it directly from the freezer. I microplane it from frozen, right into my food, drinks, and put it right back in the freezer. You get full use of it this way, none goes to waste. I never peel it. Many times the peel has what we need most, so I use it when I can.

My boys know to get a spoonful of honey and sprinkle cinnamon on it when they have a cough or sore throat, they go right for it on their own..it helps better than any OTC medication we've tried. My grandma used to give me some when I had a sore throat, she knew it worked. People are too fast to run for medications that have side effects.

We also love toast with just honey and cinnamon on it. When I feel a cold coming in, I OD on these five ingredients and it usually zaps it in its tracks.
Cinnamon, Honey, Ginger Root, Citrus Zest and Fresh Citrus Juice.

Two of my Go To books when I need to find a home remedy....

Here is some good reading on Ginger.

Historically, it has been used to reduce menstrual cramps, treat seasickness and food poisoning, and eliminate body odor. It is now one of the most popular herbal remedies for nausea, morning sickness and digestive problems. The extract can help the digestive process by breaking down proteins, and it alleviates nausea and morning sickness by relaxing stomach muscles, and pregnant women can use it safely.

In addition to its popularity as a stomach aid, the extract has also been shown to improve circulation by relaxing muscles around blood vessels. It can also reduce high levels of LDL cholesterol by helping to remove it from the blood, as well as by preventing the body from absorbing it.

It may help lower blood pressure as well. It is known to contain vasodilators, ACE inhibitors and diuretics, all of which are useful agents in reducing blood pressure and keeping the circulatory system healthy. Blood clots may also be prevented with supplements, which contain substances that stop the aggregation of blood platelets that form clots.

Ginger root extract has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties as well. As an antioxidant, it may help boost immunity and relieve the symptoms of colds and flu. Its anti-inflammatory properties make it useful in treating pain and inflammation caused by arthritis, and it is effective in treating muscle pain as well.

Supplements are available in powders, capsules, tablets and liquids. Also, the whole root can be used medicinally, and it can be made into a tea. For maximum effectiveness, it is best to use supplements that contain standardized extracts of the root. The product should be standardized for substances known as gingerols, the active ingredient. Herbalists and nutritionists usually recommend products that contain 5% gingerols.

To treat digestive problems and inflammation, take 100-200 mg capsules or tablets. If a fresh powdered is used, 1-2 g is a good daily dose.

Ginger teas and ale are used to help treat stomach upset and nausea. Some health food manufacturers produce a natural ale, which contains about 1 gram of ginger per serving and may be the best choice for people who want their intake to come from liquids.

Very few side effects have been reported. In rare cases, very high doses may cause stomach irritation. To minimize this effect, it can be taken with food. Because it is a blood thinner, people who are taking anticoagulant medications should not use it without consulting a doctor.

In 2009, it was reported that Ginger also seemed to help stop nausea from chemotherapy treatment - one of the most common side effects of the cancer treatment. This study was the first large scale research done on the plant. People who started taking Ginger capsules several days before a chemo treatment had fewer, and less severe side effects from nausea.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

You can of course, add alcohol to this...but for those looking for a warm hot drink without alcohol....I made this for our Halloween Parties. I bought a container of a spice to add to it once and was not impressed by the extra crap they put in it...so I weeded through the ingredients and added the spices only.

Turn the crock pot onto low and let it heat up. You can also add a pinch of ground ginger or better yet, fresh ginger grated with a microplane into the crock pot..this helps with sore throats and helps keep the cold virus away.

Variation: instead of clover powder and orange slices, you can float a whole orange with cloves stuffed into it too.

If you are from Pennsylvania, or more accurately the Coal Regions, you make or know someone who makes Boilo.

If you go into the Liquor Store in October and ask for boilo, they laugh at you, "We are sold out, its boilo season". There is no other whiskey that you can use, it has to be Four Queens!

It's the perfect drink for having by a bon fire or even just a patio fire. You sip it, its hot and the spices are so soothing. It'll kick any cold virus out of ya too.

This is the exact type up of the recipe that my step dad gave me....I do not bring the alcohol to a boil, because that evaporates the alcohol. There are many variations to this recipe, this is the one I like best...I've had apple versions and blueberry versions...I just like this one best.

Try it, make a batch for your next get together or just for yourself, sit on the porch outside and stargaze while sipping it. Either have friends over when you make it, or have some extra canning jars available because the stuff never fits back in the bottle after making it.

BOLIO

JIM LAUDEMAN

1 bottle Four queens whiskey

Here's the recipe for the boilo and its all tea spoons NOT table
spoons.
1 cup a water
2 cups of honey or slightly less.... never more...
1 lemon
1 orange
4 cinnamon sticks about 3 inches long. If the sticks are 5 or 6
inches I only add 2 or 3.
1 tsp of anise ... dont over power the boilo with this... 1 level
spoon seems to work best
1 tsp of cardamon powder...this is strong... (make it a level spoon).
If you get cardamon seed then use 2 tsp of cardamon seed.
2 tsp of whole all spice... size does not matter for this.
2 tsp of caraway seed.. again this doesn't matter. 2 large tsp cant
over power the original taste.

Cut up the lemon and orange anyway ya like.
Bring to a boil and then simmer for 15 minutes. Or more if you want.
Add the whiskey ....
taste it
bring to a boil.
taste it
simmer of about 5 minutes.
taste it
simmer with it covered for about 10 minutes
taste it
let is stand and cool for a few minutes and strain it.
taste it
strain it the best you can.
taste it
bottle it
taste it
crawl to bed

If you double or triple this, skimp on the honey, it gets to be too much...I cut it down to a cup of honey for each recipe over the first.

Here is a night of making Boilo at my house...my kitchen/house is under construction perpetually, so don't mind the messy background. We got pretty silly and my house is always grand central, so we have friends who stop by for some fun. The pics are awful, my sister walked around with the camera snapping pics of anything and everything...You'll see. I know that I am going to catch hell for posting these pics...hehe!

This is Jim

↓

Mom is tending the pot

↓

Harley Stamm and Gage VanKeuren

↓

Terry, Tammy and Gage Van Keuren

↓

Jordan and Devynne (my nieces)

↓

Shawn Fromm stops by

↓

Brian was here, were is Alex, I have no pics of him, I guess Gretchen didnt' take the camera upstairs to the video gamers.

↓

I know, don't let the dog in, just take his pic

↓

Me and Terry, my good friend's husband

↓

Gretchen's self portrait...

↓

Amanda,

↓

My hubby Allen and Tammy (don't ask, I am not sure about these two lol)

↓

What is this you ask....my sister with my camera, taking pics of the victoria secret catalog lol

↓

What is really sad is, there are no pics of the boilo!~ You can see the pot on the stove..but where is the shots of us all toasting the finished product Gretchen? LOL

I guess I have to make more boilo and try to get some pics of the actually product~

There are many variations of this recipe. Jackie Hoffman of Y102 Radio (www.wrfy.com) sent met his recipe in email a few years ago. There are apple and blueberry recipes too.

Monday, October 25, 2010

I got this from a friend and wanted to pass it on...I also included a website and some information on bed bugs. I would flip if I saw one of these. I hear that people are taking them to work on clothing and passing them around at work now also. Gives me the heebie jeebies.

Hi
All:

A bit
of information that you might like to know about. We have friends
here in our community and one of their sons is an entomologist (insect
expert), and has been telling them that there is an epidemic of bed bugs
now occurring in America. Recently I have heard on the news that
several stores in NYC have had to close due to bed bug problems, as well
as a complete mall in New Jersey.

He says that
since much of our clothing, sheets, towels, etc. now comes from
companies outside of America, (sad but true), even the most expensive
stores sell foreign clothing from China, Indonesia, etc. The bed
bugs are coming in on the clothing as these countries do not consider
them a problem. He recommends that if you buy any new clothing,
even underwear and socks, sheets, towels, etc. that you bring them into
the house and put them in your clothes dryer for at least 20 minutes.
The heat will kill them and their eggs. DO NOT PURCHASE CLOTHES
AND HANG THEM IN THE CLOSET FIRST. It does not matter what the price
range is of the clothing, or if the outfit comes from the most expensive
store known in the U.S. They still get shipments from these countries
and the bugs can come in a box of scarves or anything else for that matter.
That is the reason why so many stores, many of them clothing stores
have had to shut down in NYC and other places. All you need is
to bring one item into the house that has bugs or eggs and you will go
to hell and back trying to get rid of them. He travels all over
the country as an advisor to many of these stores, as prevention and after
they have the problem.

Send this
information on to those on your e-mail list so that this good prevention
information gets around quickly.

Here are the facts about Bed Bugs:

They have 6 legs, shiny reddish-brown but after a good serving of your blood, they appear dark brown and swollen as in the picture below.

They can be seen with the human eye, but do a great job at hiding

Bed bugs are not known to carry diseases as of yet

They feed on human blood preferring to do it in the dark when you're sleeping

Simply using chemical treatments will not remove the infestation

These bugs love to hide in the seams of your mattress including:

Sofa seams

Cracks in the bad frame and or head board

Under chairs, couched, beds and dust covers

Under rugs, edges of carpets, drawers, baseboards and window casings

Behind light switches, electrical outlet plates, cracks in plaster

Televisions, radio clocks and phones

Backpacks, Sleeping bags, Cloths

Behind wallpaper, picture frames and other dark areas

Quick tips to help remove bed bugs

The best way to deal with bed bugs is by sealing your mattress and pillows with a plastic or hypoallergenic zipped cover. This traps the bugs that are inside your pillow and prevents them from feeding and kills them over time - remember, a nymph can live for two months without feeding, an adult can survive more than 12 months!

Do not apply any pesticide to mattresses or surfaces that would come in contact with the skin unless the pesticide specifically states that the product can be used in this manner.

Wash all your linens and place them in a hot dryer for 20 minutes (or you can freeze them at -5 C or below for five days).

You can vacuum to capture bed bugs and their eggs, but because the eggs are embedded to the fabric, you may have to scrape the surface. Once you have vacuumed everything, immediately place the vacuum bag into a plastic bad, seal it tight and dispose (outside).

Seal items mentioned above to prevent the bugs from hiding. You can place glue boards or sticky tape around your bed and in the room to catch the bed bugs as the move around; this gives you a way to monitor the effectiveness of your efforts.

A few ways to prevent bed bugs from getting into your home include:

* Hang clothing in the closet farthest from the bed
* Place luggage on the folding rack found in most hotels
* Place luggage in the dry cleaning bad found in the hotel.
* Most important, don't bring home a mattress that has been used by unknown sources.

Our Bed Bug discussion has 100's of stories and pictures of people bitten by bed bugs that include helpful insights into coping with this . If have bite marks on your body and are looking to determine what bit you, check out discussions, they can be a big help! If you have a picture, please send it in and we'll post it for others to comment on - not to worry, we'll crop the picture so that only your bite shows, so don't fret about the details.

We also offer our very popular bedbug checklist to help you quickly look for signs of bedbugs BEFORE you sleep. Our Bed Bug Treatment section covers in detail the methods used to get rid of these bugs and our Frequently Asked Questions (Bed Bug FAQ) covers the most common questions our visits ask.

Perhaps you can help identify the bug bite or may know of method of pest control not mentioned? If so, please leave a comment and help out. Bedbug infestation is a frightening experience and knowing that others have been down the same road can really help, so please comment whenever possible.

note: a survey of pest managers by the University of Sydney Department of Medical Entomology shows the bed bug infestations have increased 5000 percent since 2000!

Saturday, October 23, 2010

I had funnel cake for dinner last night (too lazy too cook). My husband dropped the kids off at Shocktoberfest and was sweet enough to get out and stand in line for a funnel cake for me..and even drove it home without eating it!

I posted on my personal facebook page that I had funnel cake for dinner and a friend from the UK asked..what is funnel cake. I explained it to him and sent him this video. I am sure they have a version of it across the pond, but call it something else.

I have made funnel cake before...my recipe is below...or you can just use this guys recipe. (of course, getting it at a fair or farmers market is way better, because who doesn't like to have it made for them with no mess)

Add some green peppers, onions, hot peppers if you like (I like) a bit of oil (its venison, if using beef, no need) and some fresh garlic.

Turn the rice cooker (SORRY TYPO, this is Pressure Cooker!) to meat setting (it'll automatically go to 20 mins, you are not going to need to cook it this long) and brown the meat, etc, with the lid off. Shut it off again when its browned enough....

When the meat is browned, I add my tomato products...Whatever you have on hand..canned, fresh, no matter. I used canned crushed tomatoes (too lazy to run to the garden), tomato paste and tomato sauce and some water...oh, and the beans that I pressure cooked this morning for it.

Taste it, does it have enough spices?

Add some Worcestershire sauce, kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper.

Taste it, you like? No? Add more spices...get it how you like it.

It needed more...so now I added some paprika, crushed red pepper, a dash of molasses, and a little bit of cocoa powder.

Taste it, need anything? Add it. Little more of this, more of that.

Put the lid on it, hit vegetable setting and cook for five minutes..it will be ready.

See, perfect.

I'm not a cheese on my chili kind of girl, I have it if you want it, but I'll pass...just gimme some diced raw onions please!

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Margarita Stewart!

A very close friend of mine was suprised at how domesticated I have become, being a wild teenager with her many moons ago. She said I am like Martha Stewart on Margaritas lol. Then she called me "Margarita Stewart", and I just adored it. I love Martha and although I do not go to extremes as she does for lack of time and money, I do love to entertain and cook and craft. As if I don't have enough on my plate now, I decided to post my "domestic" issues here on its own blog. Enjoy.~Shannon Don't forget to check out the archives. There is lots to see.

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About me

I started this blog years ago as a way to keep track of my recipes and projects. Friends and family would ask me for recipes and I figured I could put it all in one spot for everyone to access, whenever.

Check out the links to the right and left of my posts to see my other recipes and ideas and ramblings.

If you like my page, find me on facebook, link to the right, I share my blog recipes, and blog recipes from blogs I enjoy.

Please be patient, as I am working to organize my recipes on here better, my page has gotten out of hand.